Impractical Jokers The first lady
by fancybutterfly
Summary: (Disclaimer: I do not own impractical jokers or their material. Also swear words are in here. Just saying.) Fayth Reynolds is the only girl in the comedy troupe the tenderloins, but that doesn't mean she can't hold her own. She's in love with one of her best friends, but she promised herself to someone else. (bad at these. Hope to get better.) Thanks, and enjoy. :)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter#1

 _(I'm having writers block with some of my other fan fiction. (No, don't worry I'm not giving up on it. Just need to take a breather from my other stories.) So, I decided to dive into my first ever IJ FF. I hope you enjoy. Please read and review, and no I'm not just looking for compliments. I mean if you truly enjoy it then great, but all I ask is that if you leave a constructive review please be detailed. I mean if you just tell me you hate it and don't tell me why how am I supposed to do better next time, Right? (Not that constructive reviews haven't been detailed. I'm simply just putting it out there as a friendly reminder.)_

 _Thank you in advance. I appreciate you all so much._ _)_

I stood on the top level of Jersey Gardens mall, watching one of my best friends make a total fool of himself.

"Come on Murr, do it again." Joe called from next to me on the microphone. "To this girl here." He said pointing to a young blonde woman.

We had been doing Impractical Jokers for six seasons now, and every year it seemed like our dares had gotten harder, but then again so had the punishments.

"Come on guys." He breathed beneath a haze of embarrassment.

"I mean you could just take the loss Murr." Q muffled beneath a laugh, grabbing the mic from Joe.

I could tell by the way Murr's body rose, how he puffed his chest that he thought this girl was cute, plus that stupid smile on his face reeked of longing.

"Do it man." Joe said, impatience lining his voice, shouting from above.

Thankfully she didn't seem to notice Joe's shouting. Then again, she was on her cell phone, oblivious to what was about to happen to her.

Poor girl.

Murr cupped his hands in front of his face for a moment and then walked over and embraced her.

Then, just as they were about to break he pulled her back in and licked her earlobe. She screamed, and ran away with her hands on the sides of her head.

Her phone conversation long forgotten.

"Eww, dude, you're gross." I said, pulling the microphone away from Q's hands. "Something tells me you won't be getting a date Murr. Sorry bro." I finished, watching his frowned expression.

He ran back upstairs, painting when he got there and slapped Joe on the hand, forcing the donut to fly from him.

"Yea, that's what you get." Murr then proceeded to stomp on it.

Joe studied it for a moment, with a sad face but then shrugged his shoulders and picked it up.

"Oh my god." Sal said, beneath a gagging fit.

Joe's smile ripped through his cheeks as he walked over to Sal. He acted like he was going to go face first into the smashed creamy concoction, but instead he smeared it all over Sal's face.

I thought he would eat it. Joe loved sweets after all, even labeling himself as a fat bastard who lives and dies by the pastry, but the floor was too gross even sating his insatiable sweet tooth.

"You're so gross." Sal said, gagging more.

I laughed, and dangled my arm on the railing. This is how it had been. Even before the show. I hadn't met the boys in High school, because they went to an all-boys school.

Sal was the first one I met. In college, he attended St. John's University for finance. I was taking English.

We had met at a party held by a mutual friend. After that he introduced me to the other guys, and we've been friends ever since.

It's been nearly twenty years. I couldn't imagine my life without these morons.

"Yea Joe, you're pretty gross."

He shrugged and grabbed another donut from the table. Shoving half of it into his mouth with one bite.

 _Yep, this was my life_. I thought with a sigh. I loved them though, and every single second of comic relief they brought into my life.

I shook my head and watched as Q made his way downstairs.

"Ok Q, make like a penguin and waddle." Sal said into the mic after wiping his face.

I know why he was making him do it. We had been making fun of Q's shirt all day. It was a black button down, but had a white patch in the center. Q was great, one of the four funniest people I knew, but his fashion sense was way off leering towards nonexistent.

"Oh, over to that couple." I concluded, pointing over to an elderly couple sitting at one of the benches below.

"Make sure they see you." I finished, handing the mic back over to Sal.

Q shook his head and stiffened his body as he waddled over to the couple.

"Hey." Q kept his head straight and stiff when he spoke, only underlining the already forming wrinkles that hung on his face.

The elderly man stared at him, regarding him with a raised eyebrow of confusion.

"Hello young man." He pulled his glasses off and dusted them and put them back on as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Ask him what time it is." Murr said.

Joe unplugged the mic and motioned for one of the crew members to come over.

"Do you have it?" He said to them.

A young boy with red hair approached, holding a bucket and staring at the contents. His lips puckered, disgusted by the smell of it. It had to admit, I had smelled a lot over the years being around four guys all day, but this was bad.

Either that or lately my sense of smell had been more sensitive. Maybe it was to make up for my failing eyesight. I needed glasses, but decided to opt for contacts instead.

The guys would never let me live that one down. So, I never told them.

"Hey man, thanks." Joe said patting the boy on the back with his free hand.

"It's about 3:45." The elderly man said looking at his watch.

"Omg, I can't believe we are about to do this." Sal said, covering his mouth in disbelief, but the remnants of a mischievous grin leaked to his eyes.

"Yea, especially since he has a date tonight. He's going to kill us." I continued, reaching into the steel bucket and pulling out a cold slimy fish.

"Great." I said into the mic to Q. "That means its feeding time."

"What?" Q said, looking around and releasing his stiff pose.

We ran downstairs, with fishes in hand and threw them at him.

"Are you guys crazy?" He said, putting his hands up in a defensive position.

"You know I have a date tonight." He said, once we stopped.

We all stared at him for a moment, then turned meeting each other's faces.  
"Well." We all said in a ringing unision.

This was part of a punishment we had been planning for weeks now.

"Bud, you better cancel." Sal said, patting Q on the back.

"He can't." Murr said, pressing his hands to his face to ward off a laugh.

"What do you mean I can't?" Q said, retrieving his phone from his pocket and opening it.

"Nah Nah." Joe said with an extended finger and ripping the phone from him.

"Dude, I'm sorry, but you have to go just as you are. Smell and all." I said, wrapping my arm around him, but then I released and walked out of the camera's view after gagging from the smell of him.

Q sighed, hanging his head down in shame as he made his way down to the food court.

It's where he liked to have first dates. It was casual yes, but that's how Q liked things. Casual. Plus, with all the food vendors it left a lot of options open. It's where he took me on our first date.

"Ok man, have fun."

We all watched from a table far away as Q sat down.

"How long do you think she will stay?" I said, arching my body just so I could get a better view of him.

"Stay?" Sal tssked and shook his head. "Nah, this girl is gonna up and leave the second she smells his fishy ass."

"We should bet." Murr said, pulling out a pen and paper.

"You want to bet on our friend's misfortune?" Joe said as he picked at his tray of general tso chicken. He turned back to us with a shoulder shrug. "Ok, I say five secs." He licked at his finger that had a bit of sauce left on it.

I watched as Q sat there, so sad and miserable. My heart broke for him just a moment. I had hoped that one day he would find love. Q and I had liked each other for a long time, but we decided with the show that it was best if we didn't date. He's been through so much he deserved someone that would make him happy. He didn't always have the best taste in women. Physically yes, Q went out with a lot of hot women, but not a lot of nice ones.

"How about you?"

I turned, shaking myself back into reality as I stared at an all too eager Murr.

"Oh, sorry, um I say 2 secs."

His pearly teeth were exposed from the lips that normally concealed them as he jotted down my bet.

We watched, anxiously awaiting as his date approached. She was just as beautiful as I remembered back in Memphis. That's where he met her while we were on tour. Reggie, I believe was her name.

"Hello." Q said with a smile holding his arms out.

She threw a bit of blonde hair out of her face and returned his smile, until she came closer. Her porcelain face had been shaded a toxic green.

"What is that?" Her voice was high pitched as she pinched her nose with her just fresh manicure.

"It's fish." Q said with a shrug.

"So, you hungry?" He said, turning and extending his arm around. "There's a burger king or.."

He turned back around, cut off by the now empty space that greeted him.

"Well we don't have to do burger king. We could go to wendy's instead." He shouted, so his voice would carry across the food court and through the patrons, who were now staring at him like he was crazy.

"Ok, bye." He said, reaching his hand around and rubbing at his neck.

I frowned, watching his defeated frame walk over to us.

"No, go away." I said, smacking his arms away when he reached around to hug me.

"Come on, it's not so bad." He said in a comical tone.

"No, go away." I said again as I ran away.

"I'll get you." He said in a deepened tone.

"No, please Q, go away."

I cursed my untied sneaker that had tripped me when Q had successfully wrapped me into his frame.

"Eww. Go away." I closed my eyes, smacking whatever flesh I could find.

"Oh no." Q said, deepening the hug and trapping me further. "I'm never letting you go Fayth."

How badly I wanted that to be true. I would have done anything for that to be true. I had settled on someone else, because I wasn't a size 2, or in my twenties anymore. The white gold ring that burned on my fourth left finger reminded me so.

I shuffled what could have been in my mind as I allowed Q's arms to wrap around me.

I thought I was going to vomit from the smell, but every inch of me longed to be surrounded by him. I felt safe and warm with him near me.

"Ok, that's a wrap." Sal said, clapping his hands.

I opened my eyes and greeted a slightly darker world, one where Brian Quinn wasn't mine, or would never be.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter#2

That night I was lying on my chaise sofa, watching out my window as the New York streets hummed with life. It was only 6:00 PM, and things were just getting started.

"Hey."

I turned, forcing a smile onto my face as I stared at Greg's deep green eyes.

"Hey Baby." He sat a plate of spaghetti in front of me and then a glass of red wine. Then preceded to place his own plate in front of him before pulling me into a hug.

"How was work today?"

Internally I groaned at the way he said work, like it was beneath him, and truth be told in his opinion it was. He wasn't shy about saying it, in fact we had many arguments about it. He was a hot shot lawyer, up for partner any day now, but I didn't care what he thought. I loved my job. My boys.

"Fine." I said, taking a large ball of spaghetti into my mouth and stretching my grey eyes wide.

"Honey, why do you have to eat like that?" He said beneath a moan, which caused his glass to fog.

"What?" I said, wiping my mouth with the napkin he had given me. "You don't like the way I eat?"

"You know it's not proper."

Oh yes, I can only imagine what his old stuffy mother would say, not to mention his father. They didn't approve of our relationship. In their eyes, I wasn't classy enough to be with their precious boy.

I took in another large mouthful, laughing when bits of it trailed off to my chin.

"Enough." He said throwing his fork onto the plate and rising.

I swallowed it and put my head down.

"I'm sorry." I almost didn't recognize the small voice that came out of me. "It's just you seemed stressed and I.."

"You what?" I looked up and was frightened by the eyes that were now lite on fire.

"I.." I couldn't find my words, my breath. I was suffocating in his eyes.

"You know what Fayth? I am going to go to my office and eat."

He huffed, rolling his eyes he grabbed his plate and marched upstairs.

"Those boys are a bad influence on you." He said, just before finishing the journey upstairs.

I jumped when the door slammed. My throat tightened and I almost choked on a noodle that hadn't quite found its way. I knew deep down that it wasn't the job that made him angry. It was my boys. He was jealous of them. After all I had known them for nearly twenty years, whereas Greg and I had only been together for six.

My stomach was filled, not by food but by regret. I sighed, taking my plate I wrapped it up and made my way upstairs. I never wanted to be the girl that chased a man, but at my age options weren't something I was graced with. Not anymore.

I sighed and stood in front of the door for a moment, dressed in my pink shorts and tank top. I knocked on the door and waited.

"Come in." His stiff voice called from the other side of the door.

I walked in to the room, suddenly feeling very cheap in front of his expensive couches and furnishings.

"What is it?" He said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry."

He regarded me for a moment, swallowing me with his toxic stare.

"It's just you seem stressed and I wanted to make you happy."

He ttsked and pressed his fingers onto his nostrils before looking at me again.

"You want to make me happy?" His sarcastic tone shrilled against my eardrums, like he thought it was funny that I was capable of even making him happy.

"Yes." I said with a small tone and shrinking under his judgement.

"Really?" He said, putting his hands on his hips.

I nodded, meeting his eyes for a moment before staring back down at the rug. Fiddling my pink bunny slippers against it.

"OK." I turned up when I felt his shadow press down on me.

"Quit the show."

"What?" I suddenly felt myself growing taller with a silent authority. "But I love that show, and I can't just leave the boys."

He laughed, twisting around with his back facing me. "This is it Fayth. It's me or the show."

He turned back to me, a warning pressing against his flared cheeks. "You finish out the season, then you quit or we are done."

He whoosed past me and reached for the door. "We are done talking about this Fayth. These are the options. Think about it."

I darted past him and made my way back out into the hall. The door slammed behind me and I ran with fresh tears sprouting from my grey eyes.

The next day we were filming at a place called Crepe and Juice. I had walked by the place before, but never actually stopped in.

I couldn't help but smile when Murr looked at me, but I could feel the emptiness behind it. I just couldn't force it to my eyes.

"Hey Fayth, what's wrong?" Murr said, wrapping me in a side hug.

Even though the cameras weren't running yet, and the other boys hadn't gotten here I couldn't break. So, I sucked it back and tugged at my smile, bending it to my will.

I knew he would just tell the others. I couldn't have that. Not yet. Not until I decided what to do.

"Nothing. I'm fine."

He rose his perfectly primped eyebrow and pulled me in closer.

"Fayth, how long have you and I been friends?"

I laughed, regarding the memories that washed up over me.

"Since you had hair." I joked, rubbing his now bald head.

"Very funny." He snorted, but then his features hardened.

"No, but seriously, Fayth if something is wrong you can tell me."

I stared at him for a moment. I could see the determination sprouting in his eyes. I knew he wouldn't give up, just like he didn't when our show got rejected multiple times. He was the kind of person that dug until he got what he wanted, and I knew he wasn't going to give up on me either.

Before I knew it, the words were leaving me, but they were muffled chocked out by the tears that spilled from my chest.

After I finished I sunk into his open frame.

"Please." I said finishing with a sniffle. "Don't tell the guys."

He sighed and closed his eyes before pulling me into a deeper hug.

"It's ok. I won't say anything to the boys."

"Say what?"

I ripped away from Murr and stared directly into Joe Gatto's face. He was wearing his purple shirt today, which only accented the deep blue pools in his eyes.

"Nothing." I said, clearing at my throat. "We were just talking about my period."

His face wrinkled and he shook his head. "Eww."

I laughed, with half delight that he hadn't overheard what was said, and half humor staring at his stupid glazed over eyes.

"Hey, we got any Tampax?" Joe announced in his famous tone to the crew. "Fayth's on the rag."

This earned laughter from them, which I followed as I watched him walk away.

He grabbed a cup of coffee and chugged it while it still steamed.

Murr placed his hand on my shoulder, forcing my eyes back to him.

"Sweety, you should leave him."

I scoffed and shook my head. "I can't."

"This show would be nothing without you." He wrapped his arms around me again. "You could come stay with me for a while."

Murr was always kind, and I knew that he was that kind of friend. The one that would do anything for you, and I mean anything. Even give up his apartment, his private space for someone who needed it.

I wanted to accept his offer, but there was something in me that wouldn't allow it. My pride. I wasn't going to be the kind of person that was a burden on their friends.

"Murr, thanks, but I can't."

He pushed his arms in front of his chest and pouted like a little school girl. It fueled me to continue.

"I don't want to do anything to mess up your relationship with Claire."

I could see the argument growing in his eyes, about how him and Claire had only been dating a few weeks and how it wasn't serious so there was nothing to mess up, but it disappeared, no doubt seeing the fight that trailed from my eyes.

"But my offer stands." He said, putting his hand on my knee. "If you need it."

"Thank you." I said pulling him back into another hug.

We separated, just as the other boys arrived.

It was filming time, so I had to put all my feelings aside and get on with my day.

The four of us huddled in the back room while Q took his turn.

"OK Q, you ready?" Sal said into the mic.

Q nodded.

"OK, let's do this." I said, nodding over to the camera man to start shooting.

We watched on the monitors in the backroom as Q stood behind the counter wearing an apron and nametag.

He removed his hat to push back the brown mane that had covered his eyes.

"OK, when the first customer comes in I want you to turn on the blender without anything in it." Murr said.

Q grabbed a cup and beat it against the counter. Then looked around to make sure no one had come in before he spoke.

"I don't know a thing about making smoothies. I don't know how you expect me to do this." He said with clenched teeth.

"Well you better find out bud, because here's your first customer." Joe said laughing.

A man walked in belly first and approached the counter rubbing at his beard.

"Um, yea." He said. "Can I get a.."

But he was cut off by the loud shredding of the blender.

Q turned it off and turned back to the guy.

"I'm sorry man." He ushered out his arms to him, inviting him to speak. "What can I get you?"

The man eyed him carefully and stared at the empty glass pitcher.

"Um. Yea." He started again. "Can I get a.."

"Do it again Q." I urged.

He sighed and turned his back to the man once again and turned on the blender.

"Don't turn it off." Sal said. "Keep it running empty."

Q shook his head and then turned back to the guy, who by now had annoyance sprayed onto his face. "Dude, what are you doing? There's nothing in there."

Q held his hand up to his ear, and made his voice reach over the blender. "I'm sorry, what?"

The guy threw his hands up in the air and walked out.

Q turned it off and sank his head beneath his palms, but then he looked up when the light bouncing off the door shifted, followed by the next customer.

The woman approached the counter, smiling happily at Q.

"Good morning." She said with a jolt. "Can I please have a strawberry banana smoothie?"

Q nodded and turned his back. "Hey Q." Murr said into the mic. "Don't make that one. Do a prune smoothie instead."

Q snorted, but did as he was told.

He really didn't know what he was doing. He just threw random ingredients in until it resembled something mildly consumable.

When he brought the smoothie to the counter the lady stopped and peered at it beneath squinted lids.

"That's strawberry banana?" She said, pointing to the purple drink.

"Say no." I said, taking the mic from Murr. "It's a smoothie I invented."

Q scoffed and shook his head. "No, this is a smoothie I invented."

"You invented?" She said.

"Yea." Q said shrugging his shoulders.

"Tell her it's free." I said.

"It's free though." Q said holding out his hands in a surrendering gesture.

The woman looked at it, then looked back at Q. "What kind is it?"

"Say prune." Joe said. He muffled out a laugh before continuing. "Tell her it's sure to be a blast."

I was conscious of Sal next to me, falling to the floor in a fit of laughter.

"There's no way he's going to say that." I said staring over at Joe's anxious expression.

"Prune." Q snorted and pressed his fist up to his face before speaking again.

"And it's sure to be a blast." I turned back not bothering to close my mouth as it hung ajar.

 _I'll be damned._ I thought. _He really said it._

"Have a good day." Q said with a wave, just as the woman disappeared through the door.

Q sagged onto the counter for support. His cheeks flared red with embarrassment.

With that Q took a win.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter#3

Joe was up next, and I was anxious to see him in action. Joe was the most ballsy one of the four guys. He would literally do or say anything to anyone, but I had a feeling he was going to take a loss on this one.

And my feeling was more of a certainty, since the guys and I had invited his wife to participate in his challenge.

I loved how she was his weakness. How anything that came up to do with his wife he would take a second breath before doing it or saying it. All he wanted was to make her happy.

I twinged a little each time I saw the spark when their eyes met. It was a love I knew I would never have.

We had moved on to the park now, and because it was a beautiful day it was crowded. There were plenty of strangers to involve in our shenanigans.

I sat next to Betsy backstage while the guys prepped for the challenge.

"So, are you excited?" I asked looking at her swollen belly. She nodded, as a large tide of pride swept across her pretty features.

"Yes." She said, rubbing her belly. "I can't wait."

I smiled, relishing in her joy and selfishly taking a bit for myself.

"OK, we are ready." Q announced from the curtain.

I rose, and then helped a very pregnant Betsy to her feet.

"Thanks." She said with a smile.

Q pressed his hand against her back and helped her out of the room.

When Betsy was gone Q stopped me and put his hands on my shoulders.

"Hey, are you ok?"

I nodded, not able to meet his face. If I did I knew I would cave, but he forced me by removing a hand from my shoulder and putting it under my chin.

"Hey." He said. "What's going on with you?"

"Nothing." I said, though I had done my best to control my voice I couldn't stop the crack that had broken it.

Q tightened his grip against me, invading me deeper with his stare. I looked past him to where the other guys were watching from the monitor.

"Come on." I said, squeezing Q's hand. "We are going to miss it."

"Fine." He warned. "But this isn't over."

He sighed and let me go past him just in time for the cameras to start rolling.

After the intro, we watched as Joe sat on a park bench.

"OK man." Q said into the mic. "You see any pretty women here?"

Joe nodded, taking his stare around the park.

"Yea, there's a lot."

"OK, so all you have to do buddy, is flirt with them."

"Hey baby."

Joe turned and laughed seeing Betsy sitting next to him.

He turned to a camera and shook his head.

"Nope." He said, throwing the empty coffee mug onto the ground and stomping away.

We all laughed and with that Joe took a loss.

After the day of filming we decided to go out to eat. With all the guys undecided about where to go I offered to let Betsy pick. I always got frustrated when they couldn't decide, Besides, if she was craving something I wanted her to have it.

"How about pizza at our place?" She offered. "I just want to get in my pajamas and forget about how fat I've gotten."

The guys and I all looked at each other and nodded in agreement. Thank god. I could feel the hangries creeping in. I didn't even care that it wasn't diet food.

"You're not fat." Joe said, wrapping his arm around her and kissing the top of her head. "You're pregnant, and beautiful and I love you."

"Awe, that's really nice." I said pressing my hand up against my chest.

"Pussy." Q called from behind me.

I reached around and wacked him in the arm, not hard, but still he mouthed the word ouch and rubbed at it.

"You know, maybe this is why you're single." I said, crossing my arms in front of me. "Maybe you should be more like Joe."

My heart broke, seeing the way his eyes fell to his feet. I should have known better than to say something like that. Ever since he was dumped by his fiancé for a cop he never felt good enough, always comparing himself to others, but to me he was perfect. I wished I could have told him that. I think now he needed to hear it.

"Shit. Q, I'm sorry."

He held up his hand, bringing his eyes back up. "Nah, it's cool."

Then he looked at his watch and pushed past me.

"Hey man, listen I'm going to have to skip it tonight." He marched in front of Joe and reached his hand out.

Joe released his wife's hand clasped Q's just before hugging him. He mimicked the same action with Murr then moved onto Sal.

"Nah man." Sal said after they broke apart. "Come with us."

Q looked at me then back at Sal. "Dude I can't. Not tonight."

He paused, and turned back to me. "I'll see you."

I held out my hands to hug him but he dodged me, walking in the other direction towards his car.

I watched as he disappeared, and something in me cracked.

"Hey." I heard Sal call after me. "Where are you going?"

I didn't even look back. I just kept running until I bumped back into Q.

He turned around when my body washed up against his.

"Fayth." He said, helping me to my feet. "What are you doing?"

I shook my head and brought my head between my knees to catch my breath.

"Dude, don't skip out because I'm an asshole." I said, half begging.

He shook his head and pulled me into a hug. "No. You're not an asshole."

He pulled back slightly so he could look at me again. "You're right."

He shrugged his shoulders and twirled his eyes around. "Maybe your delivery was a little blunt, but you're right."

He looked around as if making sure we were alone, well alone as we could be in the park anyway. "The truth is I'm jealous of Betsy and Joe."

His features softened when he looked at me and I could feel the walls inside of him falling.

"It's just that I haven't found the right person to be like that with."

He traced his hand onto my ring finger and played with the white gold band that adorned it.

"Not like you have."

I laughed at his presumption and shook my head.

He grabbed my face gently and pulled it back up to his.

"Fayth, what's going on?"

I shook my head again, allowing my face to drop so that I could cover the tears that threatened to spill out of me.

"Everything." I said, looking back up at him, no longer ashamed of my tears.

I pulled myself away, giving my words room to travel. "Greg wants me to leave the show."

Q ripped the hat off his head and ran his fingers through his hair before looking at me again.

"He's making me choose before the end of the season. It's the show or him."

I could see the anger swell in him. He clenched his teeth and shook his head.

"So, what are you going to do?" He said without meeting my face, and I knew why he wouldn't meet my face. It was because he knew what I was going to say.

"I'm leaving the show at the end of the season."

He threw his head back and laughed, but this wasn't the cheery laugh that I have known from him. It was a laugh etched with anger.

Truth be told it scared me a little, because it wasn't the Q I knew and loved.

"So, that's it?" He said wiping at his eyes and coming close to me. "You're just done?"

"Q, I don't have a choice."

"That's bullshit." He said cutting me off and throwing his hat on the ground.

I could feel the people in the park staring, and at this point I was aware of our small band of friends behind me. Though I didn't know how long I guessed by the way their faces wrinkled it had to have been for a while.

"You have a choice Fayth. We all have a choice."

"What do you expect me to do?" I said, thundering my voice and shattering the conversations of the park goers around us.

"I'm a woman over 40. I can't just have a pick of any guy I want."

"Yes, you can." He said, pulling the crowds closer to us. "You are magnificent, and talented, and beautiful."

He brought his face close to mine and regarded me softly as he undid the ponytail that trapped my dark hair.

My scalp tingled as he ran his hands through my hair. I closed my eyes, relishing in it.

"You could have anyone you wanted."

I grabbed at his hand and forced it to my cheek.

"What if the man I wanted didn't want me?"

He cocked his head to the side and laughed.

"What makes you think he doesn't? Maybe he just didn't want to get in the way because he thought you were happy."

I opened my eyes, exposing myself to the reality of Brian Quinn's eyes drawing against me.

Around us the crowds were now cheering and pulling out their phones. For years fans had wondered if we loved each other, but now they had their answer.

His brown eyes pressed firmly into my grey ones, accented by a soft tenderness that I felt like was there just for me.

"The thing is Fayth I have found the girl that I can be romantic with."

He looked back to Joe and Betsy with a nod before turning back to me.

"She's been my best friend for almost twenty years."

My vision became swallowed by tears, consumed by so many emotions all at once. Brian Quinn wanted me. He wanted me.

"Fayth Lynn, I love you." He reached his hand to my cheeks and caressed them.

"Will you give me a chance?" He whispered, so no one holding their phones could hear.

"I want to." I said, pressing my head against his. "But what about Greg?"

He pulled back, just enough so he could look at me again.

"Well at least now you know you have options." He said, wrapping his fingers in my hair once more before releasing mine. "So, it's your time to decide."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter#4

I couldn't go to eat with the guys that night. I had too many things on my mind.

Thankfully Greg was out of town on a business trip, so that left me the emptiness to absorb everything that had happened.

I looked at my phone for the hundredth time that night since I got home.

Finally, I sank, and called the first person on my list.

"Hey." Murr's voice echoed from the other end. I knew he would be home by now. After all It was nearly 11:00PM.

I couldn't talk. I felt my throat tighten.

"Hey Fayth, are you OK?"

"No." I said, truthfully and crinkling under the pressure of sadness.

"Can you come over?" I finished.

"Honey, of course." He said with a huff as if he was thinking that the request was a minimal one. "I'll be right there. You don't have to ask twice."

"Thank you." I said, half sobbing into the phone.

"OK sweetie. Just hang tight."

I nodded and hung up the phone.

I looked around at the empty apartment and realized what a mess it was.

I had eaten a whole tub of Ben and Jerrys and nearly a whole delivery pizza by myself.

"Crap." I said, grabbing at my bloated belly.

I threw out what I could and did a quick vacuum and dusting job before I heard the buzz of my doorbell.

I shoved it back into the closet and walked over to the door.

Murr was standing there with a huge smile on his face and a bouquet of white flowers.

"Hey there gorgeous." He said with a wink.

I laughed as he handed me the bouquet and strode inside.

"Thank you Murr." I said pulling him into my arms. "They are beautiful."

"Don't mention it." He said, brushing at the air.

I laughed and locked the door behind us. He took off his coat and I urged him to sit down.

We sat together in the silence. I knew that he was waiting for me to speak first, so I did.

"How are you?" I said, unwilling to let myself face the reason I had asked him over.

"Fayth, I'm fine sweetie." He said with a huff of impatience. He took his hands into mine and dressed them with small tender kisses. "I'm here for you right now."

"Murr, you are such a great friend."

He laughed and tossed off his black pea coat. "Remember that when you are punishing me next."

I laughed and pulled my head into the fridge. "Do you want something to eat or drink?"

"Nah." He said. "I'm good. I ate with the boys and I'm not thirsty."

I peered around and stared. He picked up my silent question and answered it.

"He's fine." He said. "He seemed worried about you, but other than that he was fine."

I tossed a bit of hair behind my ear before sitting onto the couch. "You don't think he said he loved me just to keep me on the show, do you?"

He shook his head. "No way. He wouldn't buy you an engagement ring just to keep you on the show."

He pressed his hands to his lips. "Shit. I wasn't supposed to say anything."

I could feel my eyes tearing with the shock of what he had just said.

"What? He bought me a ring?"

"Well yes sweetie. Of course, he did."

"But what if I said no?"

He looked at me with his piercing gaze, penetrating my soul. "Hunny, are you really going to say no?"

I looked down at my ring and wrinkled my face. It wasn't that the ring itself was disgusting. It wasn't my taste, but it wasn't the rings fault that the person who bought it for me was an asshole.

"No." I said, looking up at Murr.

"No. I love him." I said looking back down at my ring and shoving it off my finger.

I took out a piece of paper and wrote a letter explaining my decision, and telling him that I wouldn't be leaving the show. It seemed like a cold way to break up with him, but he didn't love me, not really.

Murr's face beamed and he clapped his hands together happily.

"I'm so glad sweetie. You and Q belong together."

I gripped at my stomach, feeling a wave of nausea hit me.

"Honey, are you ok?"

I turned away from him, heading straight to the bathroom I heaved and hurled my dinner down the throne.

Must have been my nerves, combine with the fact that I ate half my body weight in ice cream and pizza.

"Sweetie?" I heard Murr's small voice creep from the other side. "Are you ok?"

I nodded, but spoke too because I knew he couldn't see me.

"Yea." I said, sliding my back against the bathroom wall. "I'm fine."

Then a thought came over me as I looked behind the toilet at the bundle of Tampax tampons that were sitting there.

I then reached into my phone and opened my calendar app.

 _Oh no. It can't be._

Frantically I searched last months records. Finding that on the second week in april I had gotten my period. It was now the third week in May, and I had yet to have a visit from my aunt flo. It was never late, and I knew I was getting older, but I was still too young to get menopause.

Ironic. I thought. Since I had just been joking with Joe that Murr and I were talking about my period.

Shit. How could I be so stupid?

Murr tapped on the door again, but it sounded more frantic, as if he had been talking to me again and I hadn't answered.

"Honey, what's going on?"

I shook my head and reached into my cabinet.

"Nothing Murr. I'm sorry. Please make yourself comfortable. I'll be right out."

I waited until I heard his footsteps soften with distance before reaching up for a pregnancy test.

Greg and I had been trying to get pregnant for a while. So, I had a few on hand. Just in case.

I took a deep breath and with shakey hands I pulled the test out of the packet and gave it the necessary sample.

How could this be happening? I thought, pressing my hands into my hair. At my age. It isn't true. Is it?

I didn't want Murr to hear my phone alarm, so I put it to vibrate.

I took a deep breath and rose to my feet and walked over to where I had set the test. On the side of the tub.

I was greeted by a pair of two blue lines.

I was pregnant.


End file.
